Haitian-Descended Dominicans Face Increased Risk of Deportation

Haiti and the Dominican Republic (DR) have had a longstanding conflict over immigration but it came to a head in 2013 when a DR Constitutional Court issued a ruling that effectively rendered immigrants and their descendants stateless all the way back to 1929. After international outcry, DR implemented a Regularization Plan for these people but the deadline for application recently expired. As the DR government promised to resume deportations on June 18th, many Dominicans of Haitian descent now live in constant fear of arbitrary deportation. Below is Amnesty International’s brief report on the situation, including an action alert for those who wish to help.

An Uncertain Fate: Dominicans of Haitian descent at risk of expulsion in the Dominican Republic

Amnesty International

June 7, 2015

Liliana currently lives in fear in her own country. The 21 year-old Dominican woman was born and has lived all her life in the Dominican Republic (DR). She gave birth to three children there. But today, Liliana is wracked with fear whenever she leaves her house. She is constantly aware of the growing risk of being arbitrarily arrested, separated from her family, and expelled to a country that she does not even know. This uncertain fate is shared by thousands of people in the Dominican Republic, people who, like Liliana and her children, were born there but happen to be of Haitian descent.